Warming Up To You
by GingerCat18
Summary: No one sees Gray for 2 weeks, and Natsu's getting worried.
1. Cold

Icy winds swept across all of Fiore. There had been a state of extreme cold across the whole country for weeks, and what was supposed to be a short cold snap became a month of snow, ice and hail. On this particular day, Natsu and Happy had just arrived at the guild. It had taken them twice the amount of time it usually would, but they persisted because Natsu had lost a bet. Happy bet Natsu that he could build a better snowman, and obviously the flamebrain took him on. He could have won, too. But his fire just melted away his snowman. So here he was, about to tell Gray how he felt. The deal was that if Happy won, Natsu would have to reveal his crush on Gray. As they entered the guild, Natsu and Happy scanned the room for any sign of their raven haired nakama. He wasn't there.

"Hey Mira, do ya know where Gray is?" asked Natsu, sitting down at the bar.

"Sorry Natsu, He hasn't been here for a while now. I'm getting kind of worried," replied Mirajane.

"C'mon Happy, let's go find him," said Natsu.

"AYE SIR!"

Natsu and Happy trekked out into the snow once more, this time towards Gray's house. As usual, the door was locked, so Happy flew Natsu in through the window. But then Happy caught sight of Carla and Wendy on the other side of the canal, and rushed over to flirt with Carla.

"HEY POPSICLE! Where are yooooooou?" called out Natsu, walking around the house. No response. Then is struck him how brutally cold it was in the house. Usually even Gray didn't keep it this cold. Even more worried, Natsu barged into Gray's bedroom. There, huddled in the corner, was Gray. He was hardly breathing, his already pale skin deathly white. He hurried over to him, checking his pulse. Instead of a steady, strong beat drumming against his fingers, he found it slow and almost undetectable. Ice was streaked down Gray's face. It was clear he had been crying at some point, but now the tears had frozen on his cheeks.

"GRAY! Can you hear me?!" screamed Natsu, now terrified for his friend's health. He was met with silence. He had been reduced to an almost coma-like state from the coldness that he had been unable to escape.

~FLASHBACK~

 _Gray was working on his ice-make. One of his creations broke his heater, but usually he didn't need it anyways. As he practiced, his magic power drained. He'd forgotten that without his magic, he wouldn't be able to regulate his body temperature. Slowly, his heart rate slowed. He collapsed on the ground near his bed. In a last attempt to retain some heat, he yanked the blanket off his bed and wrapped it around his shoulders. It was no use. Tears rolled down his face as he curled up, falling into a deep slumber. The last name that came to mind before he went unconscious was Natsu, the fire dragon that could warm up anything, even his ice-cold heart._

~END OF FLASHBACK~

And here Gray lay, still ice-cold and asleep. Natsu's mind started racing- he had to act quickly to save Gray's life. He'd never forgive himself if Gray died on his watch. Knowing that the first thing to do would be to warm him up, he lit his hands on fire. The same kind of fire he used to dry his and Gray's clothes at the tower of heaven, rather than the destructive fire he usually used. Slowly, the room began to warm up a bit, and some colour returned to Gray's face, although he remained unconscious. Now desperate to wake him, Natsu willed a little more power into his flames, and ever so gently placed his hands on his shoulders, hoping the direct contact would wake him. After almost an hour, Gray coughed and opened his eyes. All he could make out with his blurry vision was a mess of bright pink hair

"Nat-su?" she croaked, attempting to reach out towards the fire mage.

"Gray! You're awake. How do you feel?" replied Natsu, encasing his cold hands in his warm ones.

"Cold. And I'm so tired Natsu," answered Gray. His voice was weak and strained, and he didn't even have the energy to act mad about Natsu in his house. Usually he'd flip out but today he welcomed the comfort of the fire dragon.

"Just relax, I've got you now," said Natsu as he pulled Gray towards himself, so he was practically sitting in his lap. He rested his head against Natsu's chest, and he rubbed his back with warm, soothing circles. Gradually, his heart rate went back to normal, and his brain function improved. Gray realized that he was leaning on Natsu, his rival. Tears welled up in his eyes, and he attempted to push away, but Natsu could smell the salt in his tears. He tightened his grip around Gray's shoulders.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked in a calm, quiet voice, very different from his usual harsh shriek. His tears flowed faster now- he wanted to make his magic stronger, to fight with Natsu. Fighting was the only time he could ever be close to Natsu, as much as he might have wanted to be closer more often. Gray curled up in a ball, trying to completely cover up his face.

"C'mon Gray, tell me what's wrong," whispered Natsu, trying to coax Gray into telling him. He massaged his tense shoulders, and hugged him to his chest. Natsu stroked Gray's soft, dark hair, deciding to wait until he was ready to tell him himself. Gray had cried and cried for over an hour before he would lift his head. His dream was for Natsu to show him something beyond rivalry, but now Natsu was probably just showing pity. His dark blue eyes looked so sad, Natsu felt like his heart was breaking.

"Natsu," whispered Gray, resting his head on Natsu's shoulder.

"I'm here," replied Natsu, still petting his hair.

"Why are you being so nice to me? Do you pity me?," said Lucy, her voice shaking from the tears rolling down her face.

"You shouldn't have to be this sad. I promise I will do ANYTHING to make you happy. A dragon's promise," answered Natsu. He was ready to kill whatever or whoever did this to him.

"And I wouldn't treat you like this out of pity. I…. care for you?"

"We fight all the time. I don't want to fight anymore." whispered Gray, given hope by this confession of care.

"I only fight because I thought you wanted to," Natsu replied, surprised. Gray had withstood so much, and here he was, scared that he had to fight unnecessary battles. The two were still on the floor, Gray on Natsu's lap with his head on Natsu's shoulder, and Natsu's arms around Gray. Carefully, Natsu dried Gray's tears with his scarf. He'd seen him cry too many times, he had such a difficult childhood, he didn't deserve so much pain. And then he realized, this was the perfect moment.

"Hey Gray? Can I tell you something?" asked Natsu. He had a look in his eyes that Gray had never seen in them before-was he actually nervous?

"Sure, flame brain. You can always tell me stuff. We're nakama," said Gray, smiling reassuringly at Natsu.

"Well, don't freak out, but… I like you. A lot. I love you, Gray," he said, looking away shyly. Gray's eyes got really wide. His crush liked him too?

"I like you too. I just didn't know how to tell you. I always thought you had a thing for Lucy" said Gray, gently lifting the dragonslayer's chin so his eyes were level with hers.

"Really? You're not just saying that to be nice?" asked Natsu.

"Of course I'm not just saying it. I would have frozen you by now if I didn't like you," said Gray, playfully ruffling Natsu's spiky, pink hair, which was surprisingly soft. Then they realized how lovestruck they sounded, and both looked away, blushing madly. Gray got off Natsu's lap and Natsu stood, holding out a hand to help Gray up. He took it, getting to him to his feet carefully as his legs were still weak. Almost as soon as he was fully on his feet, he collapsed, unable to bear his full weight. But before he could hit the ground, strong arms scooped him up. Natsu was carrying him princess-style.

"Thanks," whispered Gray, going red and trying to hide his face in his blanket, "Maybe I should go back to bed now."

"No way am I leaving you alone again. I'm taking you to my house," said Natsu. He lit himself on fire to keep Gray warm and jumped out the window, running through the snow with Gray in his arms. He clung to him tightly, and shrieked as Natsu hurtled over a huge snowbank. Natsu giggles at that. Gray was just too cute when he was scared! Soon, they arrived at Natsu's house. He kicked open the door, walked to his bedroom and put Gray down on his bed. He tucked blankets around him, and got the fireplace going. Only then did he realize it was night, a fact that was blocked by the whiteout conditions outside.

"Hey Gray, I'm gonna go sleep on the couch, 'kay?" called out Natsu, walking out of the room.

"No, please stay. I'm still so cold, and you're warm," answered Gray.

"I guess we could share the bed, if that's okay with you," suggested Natsu, blushing heavily.

"Yeah, it fine," said Gray, moving over to make room for Natsu. He walked over, sitting on the bed and swinging his legs under the covers. It hardly a minute had passed when they had both fallen asleep. At first they were just side by side, but as the night wore on, the air got colder and Gray shifted towards Natsu, seeking the heat from his fire magic. By the time Natsu woke up, Gray's head was on his chest, and Natsu's arms were around him, protecting Gray from the cold. He blushed, looking down at the ice mage cuddling him. He looked so peaceful, not like his waking self. Usually he was scowling at everyone, or in some cases like on Galuna island, crying. He'd sealed his heart away in ice and only the heat of a flame dragon could melt it. As they lay there, Natsu gently stroked Gray's raven locks. Soon sleep took over, and Natsu drifted off. The next morning, Gray wasn't in the bed anymore.

"GRAY! Where are you?!" yelled Natsu, panicking.


	2. Blood

"I'm here!" Gray called from the kitchen. Natsu ran in, stopping when he saw Gray. He was whisking eggs in one bowl, and there was bacon in a frying pan. A second bowl held pancake batter, and a third was filled with whipped cream.

"Hey," said Gray, smiling over his shoulder at Natsu. "You helped me a lot, so I thought I'd make you breakfast."

"Oh. Ummm, thanks. That does smell amazing!"

"Just go sit, I'll bring the food over when it's done." Natsu walked over to his tiny dining table and watched Gray cook. Natsu couldn't make anything except for instant ramen himself, so watching Gray cook with such ease was interesting for him. He'd never expected Gray of all people to be a good chef. Minutes later, steaming dishes of bacon, eggs and pancakes arrived at the table. Gray had already dished out a portion of pancakes onto Natsu's plate, and piled it high with whipped cream and maple syrup. Natsu dug in hungrily, grabbing pieces of bacon from the platter. Gray sat across from him, helping himself to the plates of food. Soon, Natsu was leaning back in his chair, groaning. Gray cooked such amazing food, and Natsu had eaten way too much of it.

"You okay?" asked Gray, looking worriedly at Natsu face, as it had begun to turn green. He never looked like that except when he was on transportation.

"Yeah, I just ate too much," replied Natsu. Suddenly, his hand flew to his mouth and he raced to the bathroom. Gray followed, reaching the bathroom just as Natsu began to throw up.

"Hey, it's okay. Just take deep breaths, don't fight it," said Gray in a soothing voice, rubbing Natsu's back and combing back the pink spikes stuck to Natsu's sweaty forehead. When Natsu finally stopped heaving, Gray helped him sit up properly and wiped Natsu's face with a cool, damp cloth.

"Thanks, Gray," said Natsu, giving Gray his usually toothy grin. This was reassuring, as his smile usually was. Who could help but fall in love with that smile? He helped Natsu to his feet and they went to sit on the couch. Natsu still looked pale from throwing up, and Gray insisted he rest for a bit. Gray sat on the couch with Natsu's head on his lap, playing with Natsu's hair. It was so soft, Gray couldn't help but touch it. As they sat there, cuddling, A question popped into Gray's head. What was his and Natsu's relationship now?

"Hey Natsu," said Gray, "So, are we like a thing now or something?"

"Do you want to be?" asked Natsu, serious about something for once.

"Obviously. I've wanted this for a while, I just couldn't tell you."

"Well, then yeah. We're boyfriends now!" yelled Natsu joyfully. Then he sat up. He was curled up on Gray's lap now, and this was the perfect moment. He put his hands on Gray's shoulders and leaned in. Gray closed his eyes and their lips made contact. Natsu's hands went to Gray's hair, stroking the back of his head. Gray put his arms around Natsu, pulling him close and savouring the warmth radiating off of Natsu's body. And then they heard the door. They sprung apart, but not before Erza saw them. Her face was one of pure happiness. She'd been waiting for the day that these two knuckleheads would realize they loved each other. She was like a proud mom. Her teammates, on the other hand, were bright red. Erza had seen them! She'd probably flip out, they thought. Instead, she rushed forward to congratulate them.

"Finally! Do you know how long I've been waiting for this?!" she said, hugging them both. It comforted them to know that this girl they saw as a big sister accepted them, and was even excited about it.

"Thanks," Gray replied, as Natsu hid his red face in Gray's chest. For such a bold person, Natsu was very shy about relationships.

"So, um, why are you here?" asked Gray, attempting to coax Natsu into looking up.

"We found a good mission. Even if we took Lucy and Wendy along, it'd still add up to a million jewel each! But we'd have to leave now," said Erza, holding up the request flier. The mission was to go take down a huge monster.

"Yeah! Let's do it! It's been ages since we've taken a good mission," agreed Natsu, jumping up and beginning to pack. He tossed some food, money and clothes into his backpack. He followed Erza out the door, with Gray not far behind. They ran all the way to the train station, where Lucy was already waiting with Wendy. Carla and Happy were on a mission with Lily, so they didn't accompany Wendy and Natsu.

"What took you guys so long?! We have to board the train right now!" yelled Lucy, handing them the tickets.

"Natsu and Gray just had to pack," replied Erza.

"Then where's Gray's bag?" asked Wendy, "I don't see one."

"Oh. He's sharing mine today," answered Natsu, fidgeting nervously. Silence fell upon the group as they boarded the train for their 26 hour journey. They had booked a sleeper carriage.

" Lucy and Wendy will sharing a bed, I have one to myself and Natsu will share with Gray" said Erza. To Lucy and Wendy's surprise, Natsu and Gray didn't complain-they just stared at the floor. Suddenly, the train lurched into motion. Natsu immediately flopped onto his bed, curling up with one hand clutching his stomach and the other over his mouth. His motion sickness had completely taken over and he knew this would be a miserable 26 hours, since Wendy's Troia still didn't work. Lucy, Erza, Wendy and Gray looked at each other. One of them needed to take care of Natsu. Erza, sensing that Gray would want to, said;

"I say Gray should. He can keep Natsu cool, and that should make him a lot more comfortable." Lucy and Wendy shrugged, slightly skeptical of how Gray would treat the sick dragon slayer, but left the room, closely followed by Erza. Before exiting, Erza flashed Gray a smile and a wink. He knew she'd done this on purpose. And boy was he thankful for it. He made his way to where Natsu was lying. The poor boy looked so miserable, Gray didn't want his Natsu to suffer like this. _His_. His Natsu. He'd never thought like that before. Gray sat on the bed, pulling Natsu's head into his lap. Gently, he placed one hand on Natsu's sweaty forehead. The other wove through the soft, pink locks. He directed some coolness to the hand on Natsu's forehead. Relaxed by the gesture, Natsu sunk deeper into the bed. His motion sickness was still strong, but the soothing coldness helped take the edge off. Slowly, Gray's hand drifted from Natsu's hair down to his arm. He began to massage Natsu's arm, working carefully on the particular pressure points. A moan escaped Natsu's lips. Gray really knew what he was doing with his hands! Further comforted by Gray's hands, Natsu gradually drifted off into dreamland. Gray attempted to stop once Natsu was asleep, but even in sleep Natsu craved Gray's touch. A look of discontent swept over Natsu's features, replaced by bliss once Gray continued his massage. Not much later, Lucy and Wendy came back in. Erza had stayed in the meal compartment, talking to "Mystogan". They soon noticed Gray and Natsu. Gray had eventually fallen asleep, slumped against the window. Natsu was curled up against him. For once, they were actually not fighting. And they were actually pretty cute when they were asleep. Lucy started fangirling, until Wendy calmed her down. She was afraid Lucy's squealing might wake them. Lucy and Wendy sat down to read for a while-there was nothing else to do on the train.

TIME SKIP CUZ I'M LAZY

~4 hours later~

Erza came back into the carriage. The first thing she saw was Natsu and Gray. She was happy that Natsu and Gray had found comfort with each other. As their "big sister," she knew they'd need someone strong to help them. Not strong physically, although they both were, but someone with a strong heart. She was proud of them for finally growing up and realizing they should be together. Lucy and Wendy had looked up when Erza walked in. She didn't seem at all surprised.

"Did you already know?" asked Lucy in a hushed voice, careful not to wake her sleeping nakama.

"Yes. When I went to get them for this mission, they were cuddling at Natsu's house," replied Erza, gazing fondly at the two boys. They really were meant for each other. Pink and Black, Fire and Ice, Summer and Winter, Natsu and Gray. You can't have one without the other. Hours later, the boys were just waking up. Wendy had gone to bed for the night, and Lucy was writing her novel. As Erza opened the door, it creaked slightly. Just loud enough for it to penetrate Natsu's almost conscious mind, waking him up. As soon as as he sat up, he clutched his stomach, leaned out the window and threw up. The violent motions of the dragon slayer woke Gray. His attention went straight to Natsu, and he sat up, kneeling next to his sick friend. Gray gently rubbed Natsu's back, comforting him. When he finally stopped retching, Natsu sat up with his back against Gray's chest. He extremely pale, and he looked up at Gray and opened his mouth as if he was going to say something, and collapsed. An arrow stuck through his stomach. Gray's mouth fell open in shock. He'd been with Natsu for barely over a day, and he'd already failed to protect him. Erza leapt into action, seeing as Gray was in no shape to do anything himself. She swung herself onto the roof of the train through an open window, and ran along the tops of the carriages to get to the front. She then jumped into the driver's carriage and yelled;

"My friend's just been shot! He has an arrow through his chest. STOP THE TRAIN!" the train screeched to a halt. A medic was called to assist Gray in carrying Natsu safely so he wouldn't be injured further. Whilst Erza had been stopping the train, Wendy attempted to heal Natsu herself. It didn't work. She tried to will more power into the wound, but there was no improvement. She couldn't heal anything with an impaled object. When the medic got to him, he pulled away Natsu's jacket and braced one hand against Natsu's stomach. The other hand wrapped firmly around the arrow. Slowly, the object was removed from Natsu's stomach, and the arrow was tossed out the window. Now the immediate threat was blood loss. The wound was bleeding heavily, and Wendy stepped in. She managed to stabilize him, but barely. Gray, finally coming to his senses, picked up Natsu and left the train. The tracks were going through the town Sabertooth was in, so he ran to the guild. When he burst through the doors with the unconscious dragon slayer in his arms, silence fell upon the guild. Sting emerged from his office, closely followed by Rogue. When he saw Natsu, he broke into a sprint. The wound was bad, and blood was seeping through the bandages.

"The infirmary's this way," said Sting, walking to the back of the guild. Gray followed, along with Rogue. He gently placed Natsu on a bed, fluffing the pillows so Natsu would be comfortable. New bandages were brought out of the cupboards, and the old ones were stripped off. Once the dressings had been replaced, all sterile and white, Natsu looked a lot less…. about to die. But he'd still lost a lot of blood.

"Gray, he needs blood. I can ask the local hospital to do the transfusion- we don't have any blood stored in the infirmary, although we do have the equipment," said Rogue, holding up an empty blood collection bag and needle.

"I'll donate. As much as humanly possible," said Gray.

"Most people donate half a litre. You technically can live after losing 2 and a half, though," said Rogue.

"Take 2 and a half then. He needs it more than I do," replied Gray, already rolling up his sleeve for the needle. Oh wait, he wasn't wearing a shirt, therefore, no sleeves. Oh well. Rogue stuck the needle in and began to draw blood. Gray winced at the pinching sensation, but didn't complain. This was for Natsu. After the blood was drawn, Gray was pale as snow. He could hardly hold his head up, and Sting tried to move him to one of the beds. But Gray refused to leave Natsu's side. He sat in a chair next to Natsu's bed, resting his head on the upper part of Natsu's chest, away from the wound. Sting and Rogue left the room, dimming the lights as they left. Finally free of prying eyes, Gray cried. The sight of Natsu like this was too much. He couldn't do this. Natsu couldn't die. Not yet. They hadn't even found Igneel yet! His tears flowed, soaking through Natsu's bandages. As the liquid reached the wound, it started to glow. Gray jumped back, alarmed.

"STING! ROGUE! SOMETHING'S HAPPENING TO NATSU!" he yelled. Sting and Rogue came running, throwing open the door and rushing to the bed where Natsu lay. They recognized that glow.


	3. Tears

A dragon slayer's tears have special properties, but only to their mate. The mate's tears gain the same power. To heal wounds. Sting and Rogue knew, because they were mates. The magical tears had saved each other's lives many times. The glow was the magic involved. Natsu and Gray were mates. Bound for life by fate and love, they'd be together until death. Natsu must have already accepted this, or else this magic wouldn't work. As the tears soaked into the wound, the glow grew so bright, they couldn't see. Until suddenly it all disappeared. No light, Just Natsu, lying on the bed, covered in bandages. No more blood seeped from under the bandages. Rogue stepped forward and began to unravel the dressings. Not a trace of the injury could be seen. The gaping wound had sealed up, with not even a scar left. Gray was completely and utterly astonished. How could this be? He tried to ask Sting and Rogue, but they just shushed him. They said Natsu would explain when he woke up. Leaving Gray to puzzle over his miraculously healed boyfriend, they walked out of the infirmary, hand in hand. Assured that Natsu was no longer in any danger, Gray fell into a deep slumber, his head on Natsu's chest. Hours later, he woke to find something warm on his head. Glancing upwards, he saw Natsu's hand, fingers threaded through his hair.

"Hey Natsu," said Gray, sitting up to look Natsu in the eyes.

"Yeah? Whaddaya want, Popsicle?" asked Natsu, surprised by the seriousness in Gray's tone.

"How is your wound suddenly healed?"

"Ummm…."

"Natsu. I cried, and you started to GLOW. Then you were miraculously OK again. Explain."

"We-ell, A dragon slayer only have one "mate" in their lifetime. They can't be like Loke, having flings all over the place. Some time in their lives, they will meet one person that'll change their life forever. And when a dragon slayer and their mate accept each other, their tears can heal each other. When you cried, the tears healed me."

"Seriously?! Magic tears?"

"Yeah. Also….. You don't mind that you're my mate, forever?"

"Of course I don't mind. Didn't I have to accept you too, for the magic to work?" Gray said, pulling Natsu into a tight hug. Natsu buried his face in Gray's neck, breathing in his scent-Gray's smelled like pine trees and fresh snow, and Natsu's scent was cinnamon and campfires. As they embraced, Gray felt something wet on the back of his neck. He glanced down at Natsu. Tears rolled down his cheeks, being soaked up by Gray's t-shirt.

"Natsu? Why're you crying?" asked Gray, reaching down to wipe away the tears on Natsu's face. No response-If anything, he was crying harder now. Natsu hid his face in his scarf, not wanting to make eye contact with his raven-haired lover.

"C'mon Natsu, Tell me what's wrong. I want to help you," said Gray, pulling Natsu closer to himself. Natsu curled up against Gray, now sitting in his lap. Sobs wracked his body, unable to stop. Natsu was afraid. Afraid Gray would leave him. Afraid they wouldn't be accepted. Afraid he wouldn't be able to protect his precious Gray. The gentle touch of Gray's hand on his head eventually coaxed Natsu to look up. His olive eyes were so big and sad and full of tears, Gray couldn't stand it. Anything to make his little dragon happy again, he'd do.

"Please, I can't. I just can't," said Natsu, "I can't."

"What can't you do? You're Natsu. Actually, scratch that. You're MY Natsu. And you've never been the kind of person to back down from anything," said Gray, looking into Natsu's eyes. Something Natsu couldn't do? Impossible. There was no such thing.

"This. I can't do this," whispered Natsu. His eyes were downcast, and his hair covered most of his face. He was scared of lots of things, but his biggest fear was Gray. Or rather, that Gray would leave him. No one at Fairy Tail knew except Makarov, but Natsu had PTSD- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. His childhood had indeed been traumatic, and from that day, July 7th, year 777, he had been terrified that he'd be abandoned again. Every bond he formed was special- it was difficult for him to learn to trust again, and even now he was still skeptical of a lot of people and things. His dreams were plagued with thoughts of his guild members leaving him forever. Natsu hid these feelings with his signature grin, but inside… he needed help. But he didn't want to tell anyone about, there wasn't anyone in the world he could trust with this. Until now. Could he explain this to Gray? Could this really be what he needed to heal his wounded heart?

"Natsu? I-I love you. I'll never, ever do anything that could hurt you. Please, tell me what's wrong. I just want to help," pleaded Gray, genuinely terrified for his lover's health and mental state. This was almost like Natsu Dragion. The exact opposite of the energetic fireball that was Natsu Dragneel.

"I, um,"

"What is it, Natsu?"

"Well, I have…"

"What do you have? Is there a cure?"

"I-I have PTSD," whispered Natsu, hiding his face in Gray's chest. Suddenly, everything made sense. All the times Natsu came to the guild looking like he had been crying all night, which he brushed off as allergies. The days when he didn't show up at all, mostly on days when Happy was on a mission. He was loyal to a fault, even more so than the others in Fairy Tail. He'd never let anyone else in the guild suffer the way he had. Gray had fallen into darkness for a long time as a child, but nothing like what Natsu had. The strength of his mind and heart must be far more than his body for him to have kept this secret for so long.

"Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder? You should have told us sooner. We could have been helping you all these years," said Gray, "I'll never let you suffer like that, not ever." He was determined to make sure that the rest of Natsu's life would be happy.

"I'm sorry! Please don't be mad. Don't leave me Gray!" wailed Natsu, clutching Gray's T-Shirt. Gray looked down in shock.

"What gave you the idea that I'd leave you? I just wanted to help you earlier, that's all," replied Gray. It had barely been a minute since Natsu had told Gray about his PTSD, and he was already upset. Anxious to console his boyfriend, Gray put his arms around Natsu, petting his hair with one hand and gently rubbing his back with the other. Hours later, Natsu had finally dried his tears when the door opened. One of the doctors came in with a clipboard and pencil. She glanced up from her papers and looked at Natsu. The colour had returned to his face, and the blood on the bandages had dried.

"Mr. Dragneel? I need to check your wound. As Mr. Fullbuster is just a friend, I'll have to ask him to leave the room for a moment." said the doctor-Sting and Rogue felt that they needed someone with more experience to treat Natsu. Sadly, Gray got out of his chair and walked to the door, quietly exiting the room. As soon as he got out, Sting and Rogue bombarded him with questions;

"How is he?'

"Are you guys a couple now?"

"Did he explain?"

"Are you guys a couple now?"

"Is he gonna be okay?"

"Are you guys a couple now?"

"Has the doctor told you anything?"

"Are you guys a couple now?" (Sting really wanted to know)

"Chill you guys. He did explain the tears. And yes, we are a couple. He seemed to have some kind of panic attack, because he thought I was mad at him for some reason. But he's okay now," said Gray. Sting and Rogue breathed a sigh of relief. They were really worried about Natsu- he gave them the strength to turn their guild into something worthwhile, and if anyone deserved a good life, it was him. Gray had hardly been out of the room for 5 minutes when the doctor had come back out. Gray looked up expectantly, waiting to hear what the doctor had to say.

"His wound is healed. I can't explain how, but it is. He will still be weak for a few days, and should rest for at least a week. Don't let him do anything too strenuous." said the doctor before she swept out of the guild hall, calling out something about Sting sending her the jewels later. Gray went back into Natsu's room. The bandages had been removed, and his scarf was sitting on the table by his bed, presumably to keep it out of the way while the wound was being examined. Carefully, Gray picked up the scarf and wove it around Natsu's neck. Natsu gave him a grateful smile and began to pull on his jacket. Gray helped Natsu stand up and supported Natsu, as he still didn't have enough energy to walk properly himself. Outside, the found Lucy, Erza and Wendy waiting for them.

"Natsu-Nii! You're okay!" yelled Wendy, throwing herself at Natsu. Natsu returned the hug, looking over Wendy's shoulder at Lucy and Erza. He gave them a reassuring smile, which may have been more convincing had his legs not given out at that exact moment. Gray had donated blood, but Natsu still needed to recover more. As he fell, Gray lunged out to catch him. At the last second, warm arms wrapped themselves around Natsu's waist. He looked up to see Gray smiling down at him. Lucy and Erza looked extremely concerned- Natsu falling over? And not putting up a fight about Gray helping him in public? Even if they were lovers, they expected that Natsu'd still resist Gray's help. He must be really weak from the attack. Gray pulled Natsu to his feet, but it was clear he wouldn't be able to get far when he was this unstable.

"Hey, you guys go on the job without us. Natsu needs to rest," said Gray, picking Natsu up, princess-style.

"Hey Ice Princess! PUT ME DOWN!" yelled Natsu. Gray just continued walking, not taking any notice of Natsu's screeching. It didn't take long for Natsu to have exhausted all of his energy, and finally stop struggling. Not having and strength didn't stop him from being annoyed though. He continued scowling at his friend all the way back to Magnolia. As soon as they got back to Gray's house, he dropped Natsu on the bed.

"Why all the fuss? I thought you liked me now!" said Gray, looking down at Natsu.

"Um, well, I…. "

"What? Is it that bad for you to be seen in public with me? Are you ashamed to be with me?" Gray's emotions flitted between anger and sadness. He'd finally been able to confess to the boy he loved and only a day later he was already being rejected again. How? He'd thought that Natsu loved him. Especially after what happened with the tears. But if it would make Natsu happy for them to go back to the hatred they showed before, he'd just have to put up with it. You can't force someone to love you. After a minute of silence, Natsu still hadn't replied to Gray's outburst. Gray couldn't stand it. He couldn't stay here with the flamed-brained idiot who'd just crushed his heart.

"I'm leaving. I'm gonna go to the guild hall. I'll come back here once you've left," said Gray, stepping outside and slamming the door behind him. Only after Gray's word sunk in did Natsu realize what just relationship had only lasted a day.

 **GRAY'S POV**

That idiot! Didn't he realize that I cared for him? Was I really so repulsive that he couldn't stand to be with me? And he's in my house, too. Breaking into a sprint, I ran down to the river. When I finally reached the bank, I sat on the edge with my feet in the water. Something about being near that river was calming to me. calming, like seeing an old friend. I'd been coming to this river since I'd joined Fairy Tail so many years ago, and it was one of my favorite places in Magnolia. I sighed. When Natsu confessed, I thought that something good was finally happening to me. Someone I loved had told me that they felt the same. Even better, it was someone who I felt confident would be able to protect themself. I'd still always be worried about him, but his insane power helped. But I did think that with Natsu's intense loyalty would help this relationship last longer. I guess I'm going to have to sleep out here tonight. But I'd have to grab my sleeping bag. Oh well, now's as good a time as any. I walk back to my house, climbing in through the window so Natsu won't hear me. The sound of sobs filled my ears the second that I entered the house. Quietly, I tiptoe into my room. Natsu was sitting on my bed with his head covered by his arms. His body shook, overwhelmed by the tears. So this was what happened after I left. His sobs were reassuring in a way-I knew he needed me now. His once cheerful grin was gone, replaced by the saddest sight I'd ever seen. This was worse than anything I'd seen before-even when Igneel died right before his eyes. He'd been able to work through that. This was something that Natsu would never recover from if I chose to leave now. And in that moment, I knew I couldn't leave him. I love him, no matter how stupid and idiotic he acts. Slowly, I creep across the room and put a hand on his back. He looks up, startled by the sudden contact. His beautiful olive-green eyes are full of tears and sadness. It's clear just how upset this has made him.

"Gray? I-I thought y-you left?" Whimpered Natsu. Everything from the look on Natsu's face to the way his voice shook melted Gray's heart. I threw my arms around him, putting my chin on his head.

"Natsu. I'm so, so, sorry. You don't even know," I said, pulling him closer to me. I gently wiped the tears off his face with the edge of his scarf. He curled himself up on my lap, hiding his face in his hands. I sighed. How could I have done this to him? I knew just how tough his life had been and how scared he was, and still proceeded to break his heart in less than a day. Exactly what I'd promised both him and myself not to do. Tears started to flow down my own face, dampening my t-shirt and his hair.

Natsu's POV

Sadness. Guilt. Fear. All the emotions that swirled around inside me. Gray and I hadn't even lasted a whole day. And it was all my fault. Yes, he did walk out on me, but I had made him upset, and not even apologized. I had made the mistake, I had been a bad mate. All my dragon instincts told me I was bad. And here was Gray, comforting me as if it was he was in the wrong. I had found a good mate. Now I had to make sure they didn't slip away. I can feel water on my head. I look up and see tears streaming down Gray's face. I can see so much guilt in his face, exactly how I feel right now. He looked down at me, and I broke. There's nothing I can do to stop the sobs wracking my body as I cry into my scarf. And to my surprise, he doesn't look disgusted or pitying. Only sadness and regret show on his perfect features. A hand strokes my hair soothingly, pulling the damp strands away from my eyes. His hand. The hand of the person I love the most in this world.

"Natsu. Natsu. Natsu. Please forgive me. Please. I'm so sorry," pleaded Gray. Stunned, I looked up again. I can't believe what I was hearing. My mate. Apologizing when I was the one who had done something wrong. He can't possibly be serious. He's probably just trying to mess with me. Be nice, then break my heart. I can't let that happen.

"Go away, Gray," I say, moving away from him as best I can. It's difficult to get far since I'm still kind of dizzy from the blood loss, but I manage to get out of the house and down the street before collapsing. I'm still conscious, but I can't go any further. There's a cafe right behind me. Groaning, I pull myself up from the cold, icy sidewalk. Snow sticks to my jacket and soaks me from head to toe, but I don't care. I slowly limp into the cafe and order a hot chocolate with extra whipped cream. A brownie too. I'd get some flames, but last time I tried to order in, they said they didn't sell fire. Content with the warm drink and baked good, I sit down at a table in the corner and start to eat. The hot chocolate is rich and creamy, and the brownie is super chocolaty. Now that I've finished eating, I feel a lot better. I head back to my house and find Happy waiting for me.

 **Normal POV**

"Natsu! Where've you been?" called Happy, greeting him as he came up the steps of the house. Natsu just ignored him, walking right past Happy and falling onto his hammock. It only took seconds for the tired dragon slayer to fall asleep, so Happy decided that maybe Natsu was just too tired to respond. Satisfied with that conclusion, Happy curled up on the couch, dreaming about fish as he slept. The next morning, Happy left for the guild before Natsu woke up. He had seen how exhausted Natsu was the night before and chose to let him sleep. As soon as he got to the guild, Gray ran up to him.

"Happy! Where's Natsu?!" yelled Gray. He was clearly distraught about the state of his boyfriend. Which Happy still didn't know about.

"Why do you wanna know where Natsu is, Gray? Usually you just fight all the time," said Happy.

"He didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"Uh, nevermind. Just tell me where he is. Please."

"You said please. Who are you, and where is Gray?"

"Happyyyyyy. Just tell me already, baka neko!"

"He's at home right now," said Happy. "Don't bug him though. He was really tired when he got home last night. He's still sleeping."

'Thanks, Happy!" yelled Gray as he ran out of the guild. Happy just shrugged and pulled a fish out of his bag, turning to talk to Lucy. She had giggled at how Gray had seemed so flustered about Natsu. She looked suspiciously like the cat that swallowed the canary. Happy thought it was weird, but he let it go. Lucy was always a weirdo. Pleased with the fish he'd bought with his reward money, he flew over to Pantherlily and Carla, joining them in their conversation about their partners; Natsu, Gajeel, and Wendy. Carla was sipping a cup of Darjeeling tea, and Pantherlily was obsessing over his kiwis. Eventually, Carla brought up Wendy's recent attention to Romeo.

"It's so peculiar. She never stops talking about him, and is always with him in the guild hall," said Carla, gesturing over to where Romeo and Wendy sat together, giggling and eating a cake they got from Mirajane.

"Maybe they liiiiiiike each other!" Said Happy.


End file.
